BBC – Sean Coughlan
“Children who are facing adversity, such as illness or parents splitting up, are more likely to confide in their pet than brothers or sisters, according to research. Matt Cassels at Cambridge University says far too little attention has been paid to the significant role of pets in young people’s emotions. “They may feel that their pets are not judging them,” said Mr Cassels. His research is based on a 10-year study of 100 families in the UK. Mr Cassels, a postgraduate psychiatry researcher, says that the place of pets in the lives of young people has not been adequately recognised and the scale of its importance has been under estimated.”(more)